Little League baseball: Mercy mission

Barry Faulkner

HUNTINGTON BEACH - The Costa Mesa National Little League Majors

Division Marlins have turned the District 62 Tournament of Champions into

their own mission of mercy.

The Marlins, who trounced their first-round opponent, 18-0, invoking

the 10-run mercy rule, ended Saturday’s second-round clash prematurely as

well, eliminating the Ocean View Athletics, 11-1, with yet another

impressive display at Wardlow Park.

Saturday’s win, the first ever second-round triumph for a Costa Mesa

National Majors squad, propelled the Marlins into tonight’s 5 p.m. Area 2

championship game against the Fountain Valley Devil Rays. The winner of

tonight’s contest, at Wardlow Park, will advance to meet the Area 1

winner Wednesday for the District 62 Tournament of Champions crown. The

Devil Rays, who finished second in their league, defeated the Huntington

Valley Athletics, 11-3, Saturday to advance.

The Marlins appear bent on more than just advancing. After losing

their first postseason game, the opener of a three-game playoff with the

Costa Mesa National second-half champion Diamondbacks, Manager Paul

Errington’s Marlins have now won four straight, by a combined margin of

43-6.

“Only two of our kids made All-Stars,” said Marlins assistant coach

Rob Stillman, who noted one other team had five players selected. “I

think our guys have something to prove.”

Prove it they did Saturday, scoring two runs in the first, five in the

second and four more in the fourth to close out the game.

Starting pitcher Vinnie Valdez worked three scoreless innings,

allowing just two hits and striking out five to earn the victory. He also

belted a three-run home run, tripled and scored three runs to lead the

Marlins’ 10-hit attack.

Using what Stillman called a cut fastball, which was breaking sharply,

Valdez, one of the team’s two future All-Stars, kept the A’s off the

scoreboard. Valdez, whose homer was his sixth of the season, will start

on the mound tonight, Errington said.

There were plenty of heroes for the Marlins, however, including right

fielder Matt Pisarski, who also wrapped out a pair of hits.

Pisarski, a replacement player picked up from another team to fill a

depleted roster (rules dictate such additions can’t be All-Stars),

launched a solo home run over the left-field fence, two hitters after

Valdez cleared the center-field barrier. Pisarski, who now has four

homers this season, also singled, stole a base and scored the final run

of the fourth.

After Pisarski’s run gave the Marlins an 11-0 lead, P.J. Errington,

the team’s other All-Star who began the game behind the plate, relieved

Valdez and allowed only one run to keep the mercy rule in order.

Every spot but one in the Marlins’ order produced a hit and all nine

spots reached base.

First baseman Alex Robles singled, walked and scored a run, while

second baseman Anthony Secrest and third baseman Garrick Williams each

had RBI singles for the winners.

P.J. Errington singled and scored twice, while Adam Seagondollar and

Chad Belmont each singled and scored to trigger the five-run

second-inning uprising.

Leadoff man Brice Stillman, who had three putouts and one assist at

shortstop, scored a run, while outfielders Mitch Shamrell and Kevin

Matson each walked. Matt Wedgeworth also contributed off the bench for

the Marlins, the Costa Mesa National first-half champions who improved to

22-6.

The A’s averted the shutout with the benefit of the Marlins’ only

error, a bobbled ground ball with the bases loaded. But the Marlins even

turned that play into an out when the infielder recovered quickly and

threw to Errington on the mound. Errington, seeing an A’s runner had

rounded third a little too aggressively, threw to the third baseman,

forcing the runner into a rundown that ended quickly when Vadez, charging

up the line from behind the plate, took the throw from third and made the

tag to end the game.

“I think after we beat the Diamondbacks, 8-1, in the second game of

the (league championship) series, our kids got their confidence back,”

Paul Errington said.